SDSU's bench hyped up after a three pointer at the 2018 Summit League Basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls. (Photo by Dick Carlson/Inertia)
Dick Carlson/Inertia, Dick Carlson/Inertia

SDSU's Brandon Key #0 tries to regain control of the ball after a foul by Western Illinois at the 2018 Summit League Basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls. (Photo by Dick Carlson/Inertia)
Dick Carlson/Inertia, Dick Carlson/Inertia

SDSU's Tevin King drives to the basket on Brandon Gilbeck #52 from Western Illinois at the 2018 Summit League Basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls. (Photo by Dave Eggen/Inertia)
Dave Eggen/Inertia, Dave Eggen/Inertia

SIOUX FALLS, SD - MARCH 3: SDSU's Skyler Flatten #1 shoots a three that was well contended by Dalan Ancrum #15 from Western Illinois at the 2018 Summit League Basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls. (Photo by Dave Eggen/Inertia)
Dave Eggen/Inertia, Dave Eggen/Inertia

SDSU's Tevin King #2 pulls up a shot over Kobe Webster #10 from Western Illinois at the 2018 Summit League Basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls. (Photo by Dave Eggen/Inertia)
Dave Eggen/Inertia, Dave Eggen/Inertia

SDSU's Reed Tellinghuisen #23 drives to the hoop and is contested by Isaac Johnson #35 from Western Illinois at the 2018 Summit League Basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls. (Photo by Dave Eggen/Inertia)
Dave Eggen/Inertia, Dave Eggen/Inertia

SDSU's Mike Daum #24 drives to the basket and is guarded by Charles Gavin #50 from Western Illinois at the 2018 Summit League Basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls. (Photo by Dave Eggen/Inertia)
Dave Eggen/Inertia, Dave Eggen/Inertia

SDSU's David Jenkins Jr. #5 drives and dishes the ball of for an open shot against Western Illinois at the 2018 Summit League Basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls. (Photo by Dave Eggen/Inertia)
Dave Eggen/Inertia, Dave Eggen/Inertia

Each SDSU team will be favored, but neither win would necessarily come easily. Leave aside for a second the oft-repeated cliché about how hard it is to beat a team three times in a season -- an adage that isn’t exactly supported by statistics.

The Western Illinois team that SDSU’s women beat convincingly twice this season is still the defending conference champ, and their current roster features most all of the key players from that NCAA tournament squad, and those players were absurdly good in Sunday’s 97-57 win over Omaha.

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The Jackrabbits held off the pesky Western Illinois team to advance in the Summit League Tournament on Saturday night. Video courtesy Midco Sports Net.

Emily Clemens, last year’s Summit League player of the year, had 36 points on 12-of-13 shooting, with three assists, eight steals and no turnovers. Taylor Higginbotham had 23 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. Olivia Braun had 10 rebounds, eight points, seven assists and five blocks.

Counting Sunday, the Leathernecks (22-8) are 11-0 this year against Summit League teams not from South Dakota. But they’re 0-4 against teams who are, losing those four by a combined 99 points. The most recent was a 70-42 embarrassment on their home floor against the 24-6 Jackrabbits.

Now is their chance to atone.

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Highlights from the Jackrabbits first-round win over the Bison on Saturday. Courtesy Midco Sports Net.

“If you asked our girls what their one disappointment is this year it would be how they played against the South Dakota schools,” said WIU’s JD Gravina, who was the Summit League coach of the year last year. “It wasn’t even the losing, it was that we played just one good half through the entire gauntlet of South Dakota schools. I think they’re excited to have the opportunity to make up for that.”

When it comes to that whole ‘three times in one year’ thing, the numbers clearly favor the team that’s already won twice, whether you’re talking about college basketball, NFL football or high school baseball. But that’s still a little misleading. Most of the time if one team beat another twice in one year it’s because they’re the far superior team. So they usually win the third match, too.

But in the instances where two teams are evenly matched but one team wins both meetings during the regular season? That gets a little trickier. Just ask the Fort Wayne men, who won both meetings from North Dakota State during the season but got bounced in Sunday night’s quarterfinals.

NDSU dominated the first half and built a huge lead, going up by as much as 23 in the second half. Then the Mastodons came roaring back behind the two-headed monster of John Konchar and Bryson Scott.

But the Bison held on for the 86-82 win behind a 29-point, 8-rebound effort from senior Paul Miller.

“Is it hard to beat a team three times in one year?,” IPFW coach Jon Coffman smirked. “It’s gotten us two years in a row. But NDSU is a good team. It’s hard to beat them once.”

SDSU (26-6) beat the Bison 87-80 in Fargo in the Summit League opener, way back on Jan. 3. They won the rematch more convincingly, 82-63 at Frost Arena. The Jacks are coming off a wobbly 66-60 quarterfinal win over 8th-seeded Western Illinois.

SDSU's Megan Bultsma looks for an open pass during the game against North Dakota State Saturday, March 3, during the Summit League basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premiere Center in Sioux Falls.
Briana Sanchez / Argus Leader

SDSU's Myah Selland leaps into the air to block North Dakota State's Tyrah Spencer Saturday, March 3, during the Summit League basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premiere Center in Sioux Falls.
Briana Sanchez / Argus Leader

SDSU's Sydney Palmer cheers during the game against North Dakota State Saturday, March 3, during the Summit League basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premiere Center in Sioux Falls.
Briana Sanchez / Argus Leader

SDSU's Myah Selland takes the shot against North Dakota State Saturday, March 3, during the Summit League basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premiere Center in Sioux Falls.
Briana Sanchez / Argus Leader

North Dakota State cheer coach Katie Olson leads the team from the sidelines while holding her daughter Kennedi Olson Saturday, March 3, during the Summit League basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premiere Center in Sioux Falls.
Briana Sanchez / Argus Leader

North Dakota State's Tyrah Spencer talks to her team during the game against SDSU Saturday, March 3, during the Summit League basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premiere Center in Sioux Falls.
Briana Sanchez / Argus Leader

SDSU's Myah Selland takes the shot against North Dakota State Saturday, March 3, during the Summit League basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premiere Center in Sioux Falls.
Briana Sanchez / Argus Leader

SDSU's student section cheers during the game against North Dakota State Saturday, March 3, during the Summit League basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premiere Center in Sioux Falls.
Briana Sanchez / Argus Leader

SDSU's Macy Miller takes the shot against North Dakota State Saturday, March 3, during the Summit League basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premiere Center in Sioux Falls.
Briana Sanchez / Argus Leader

A young SDSU fan gets his photo taken in the stands during the game against North Dakota State Saturday, March 3, during the Summit League basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premiere Center in Sioux Falls.
Briana Sanchez / Argus Leader

North Dakota State's coach Maren Walseth claps for her team during the game against SDSU Saturday, March 3, during the Summit League basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premiere Center in Sioux Falls.
Briana Sanchez / Argus Leader

North Dakota State fans Brandon Geffre, Alan Roehrich, Robert Roehrich and Derek Hollaar celebrate a point with Thunder the mascot during the game against SDSU Saturday, March 3, during the Summit League basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premiere Center in Sioux Falls.
Briana Sanchez / Argus Leader

SDSU fans cheer during the game against North Dakota State Saturday, March 3, during the Summit League basketball tournament at the Denny Sanford Premiere Center in Sioux Falls.
Briana Sanchez / Argus Leader

“They’re the No. 1 seed and they’ve earned it,” Miller said. “They’re a heck of a team and they’ve got a heck of a player in Mike Daum. We’ve got a quick turnaround, so hopefully we get some sleep – if I can get any at all. We’ve got to come out and be the tougher team tomorrow night.”

On the one hand, SDSU’s lackluster play against the Leathernecks is concerning. On the other, maybe they got a dud out of their system. The Bison (15-16) are a worthy opponent, and a team that played Sunday night like one with nothing to lose. Still, the Jacks are heavy favorites, no matter what happened in the regular season.